# WA: Tobacco Tax Increase Passed



## Magnate (Nov 27, 2009)

Here's the new language. 

HB 2493 Cigarette and other tobacco products (Pending Governor's signature)

Effective date
May 1, 2010

Summary
Increases cigarette tax by $1.00 to $3.025 on a package of 20 cigarettes. Other tobacco products tax (except for moist snuff and little cigars) is increased to 95 percent of the taxable sales prices. Tax on large cigars cannot exceed 65 cents per cigar. Tax rate on moist snuff is $2.526 per can or package whose net weight is 1.2 ounces or less. The little cigars tax is equal to the cigarette tax.


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## dj1340 (Mar 30, 2009)

Man, that sucks. I suppose we'll all be getting shafted at some point in time.


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## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

Another sad day in Cigar History.


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## Ducrider (Feb 4, 2010)

This is a good thing, guys. WA currently has a $0.50 per cigar tax cap, which is the result of the last time they cranked up the cigar tax (the local B&Ms pretty much went out of business and tax revenue plummeted). Hence they put in a 50 cent cap. 

The previous proposal in the legislature was to bump the cap back up to $2.50 a stick! If I'm reading this right, the tax increase will only be 15 cents a stick. Still sucks, and it is probably just delaying the inevitable, but at least we can still shop at the local B&Ms. 

(Glad I'm not a cigarette smoker tho - $2 more a pack! yikes)


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## Magnate (Nov 27, 2009)

You won't find me crying over the $0.15... just thought it was relevant news. 

If they had gone with the +$2.42 per stick they were considering, I was going to have to give up on B&M's... Some of the sticks I've paid $8 for at a B&M was $3 online... and if you add $2.42 in taxes, the tax is almost the cost of the stick... and that's just not smart.


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## Vinnie (Nov 27, 2008)

The Cigarette tax they don't talk about is the $1.00 a pack the industry put on the day the state won the tobacco suite (sp) back in the late 90's. I was working in wholesale grocery and literally the day the state won all the money, the cigarette companies raised their prices a buck a back. So our real new tax is $4.025 a pack. I'm not a cigarette smoker, so it's doesn't apply to me, but really this is nuts. 
Vinnie



Magnate said:


> Here's the new language.
> 
> HB 2493 Cigarette and other tobacco products (Pending Governor's signature)
> 
> ...


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## thrasher64 (Jun 4, 2009)

I'm surprised they've not banned mail order cigars yet. out: When that comes up I will finally be able to rationalize a coolidor. Might have to make a few out of state friends to restock every few years. :scared:


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## Magnate (Nov 27, 2009)

Road trips!!


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